Canadian sailor missing in Caribbean was living his dream

Canadian sailor Jay Caunter sold all his possessions and chased his dream of sailing around the Caribbean Sea.

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Now, the 68-year-old captain is missing after reporting engine trouble on his yacht, the Venture.

According to the St. Vincent Times, Caunter sailed from Chateaubelair, St. Vincent, on Feb. 24, and has not been heard from since. A BOLO has been issued for Caunter and his vessel.

He was last heard from on Feb. 24 around 9:30 p.m., advising his family over Messenger that he was without an engine. Caunter had embarked on a solo voyage and was the only person aboard the Venture.

The yacht is 30 feet long, has a white hull, white sails with green trim, and a registration number of ON1637651.

Friend Phil Cheevers — a fellow Canadian who lives in the Bahamas — described his buddy as an experienced sailor who in 2024 sailed solo from Lake Erie to Grenada in the Caribbean.

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Cheevers said that Caunter may have been en route to either Bequia or Grenada.

In 2023, The Sherbrooke Record interviewed Caunter about his plans to leave the tundra behind for his adventure. At that point, he was halfway down the U.S. eastern seaboard and hoped to be at his sun-kissed destination by Christmas.

He said he kept contact with friends via phone and the internet. His last residence was in North Hatley, Que.

“I lived in Toronto for about 25 years,” Caunter told the Record.

He moved back to his hometown of North Hatley in 2011 to look after his father. After his dad died, Caunter said he had no family remaining and there was little holding him back from pursuing his passions.

“So I decided to follow a dream,” Caunter said, adding he bought a bigger boat in Sarnia.

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Caunter told the Record that he “hated sailing when I was a kid.” His father had owned the marina in North Hatley and Caunter said he preferred powerboats.

But when he was 25 years old, he learned to sail.

“You couldn’t get me back on a powerboat if you tried, now,” he said.

Caunter sailed the Venture from Sarnia, through the lower Great Lakes and the Erie Canal to New York City. His adventure took him to the Delaware Bay and then back down the Chesapeake Bay. He added that he sails when he can and if necessary, he uses the boat’s engine.

The veteran sailor noted to the Record that he was in no hurry to get to the Caribbean. If the wind is blowing over 25 knots he would stay in a safe harbour.

In April 2023, Caunter excitedly posted on Facebook his plans for the future.

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He wrote: “My sailboat is calling, I must go! It seems that I have been preparing for this moment for so long that I thought I would never get here, but now that it’s time to go I have no idea how the time has gone by so quickly. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me get to this point, and there are many, thank you so much!

“I am heading back to Sarnia to finish preparing Venture for her next adventure. Venture will splash on May 12th, and with a little luck Venture and I will set sail around the 1st of June and by X Mas be in the Bahamas. Thank you for all the support!”

He added: “Till we meet again!”

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun

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